In a social environment, or at a social gathering such as a party, it is generally desirable to have beverages, particularly alcoholic beverages, readily available. In the case of alcoholic beverages such as beer, the beer is usually provided in glass bottles or in aluminium cans, which are stored in a refrigerator, or in a sink, bathtub or other container filled with ice to keep the beer cold, to which guests have access during the party. In some cases, depending on the numbers attending, a keg may be ordered. To some beer connoisseurs a keg is preferable to bottled or canned beer, as some consider that keg beer has a better flavour and head when the beer is drawn into a glass, and is able to retain head longer (ie. it does not tend to de-gasify or go flat), than bottled or canned beer.
Kegs for holding beer for subsequent dispensing are produced in two main sizes, ie. 9-gallon and 18-gallon kegs, and in either size are large volumes and expensive to purchase. Furthermore, unless the numbers at the social gathering are large, or the attendees have an unusually large thirst, more often than not there is a not insubstantial amount of beer left over which remains in the keg and which has to be ultimately discarded.
In addition, the keg is effectively temporarily leased from the establishment from where the beer is purchased, requiring the keg to be returned following use.
Wine casks are also known for the dispensing of beverages such as wine, fruit juices and water. These arrangements have been found to be acceptable for the dispensing of the aforementioned beverages, which are generally non-carbonated.
However, wine casks have to date been found to be unsuitable for the dispensing of carbonated beverages such as beer or soft drinks, as the carbonated beverage has been observed to display a tendency to de-gasify if placed in a wine cask for a period and subsequently dispensed.